You’re standing on a single block of mossy cobblestone, staring at the pixelated ripples of a jungle lake. It’s quiet. Then, a splash. You click. Suddenly, you aren't just holding a raw fish; you’re holding a bow infused with the power of infinite arrows. Most players think of the water as a grocery store for cats, but honestly, if you aren't casting a line, you're ignoring one of the most broken progression skips in the game. Knowing what can you get from fishing Minecraft changes how you play the first three days of any new world. It turns a boring survival grind into a loot-heavy RNG fest that can actually compete with desert temples or shipwreck looting.
I've spent hundreds of hours in technical Minecraft circles, and we always joke that fishing is the "lazy man’s villager trading." You don't need a lectern. You don't need emeralds. You just need a stick, some string, and a little bit of patience.
The Four Tiers of Water Loot
When you throw that bobber in, the game rolls a metaphorical dice. Most people expect the "Fish" category. That makes sense. You've got your standard Raw Cod and Raw Salmon, which are basically the bread and butter of early-game food. Then there’s the Pufferfish, which is mostly useless for eating unless you enjoy nausea, but it's the core ingredient for Water Breathing potions. Finally, the Tropical Fish. It looks cool in a bucket, but as food? It’s basically a snack.
But that’s just the surface.
The "Junk" category is where things get weird. You'll pull up leather boots, tripwire hooks, and occasionally, a glass bottle. It feels like cleaning a polluted pond. However, even junk has its uses. Leather can be turned into books for your enchantment table. Sticks are... well, sticks. It’s not glorious, but it’s part of the ecosystem.
Then we hit the "Treasure" tier. This is the real answer to what can you get from fishing Minecraft. We’re talking about Enchanted Books, Name Tags, Nautilus Shells, and Saddles. In the early game, finding a saddle is the difference between walking 2,000 blocks and riding a horse there in five minutes.
🔗 Read more: GTA Vice City Cheat Switch: How to Make the Definitive Edition Actually Fun
Why Enchanted Books Are the Real Prize
Let's talk about the books. This is why people build AFK fish farms (even after the 1.16 nerfs). You can pull a book out of the water that has Mending on it. Mending is arguably the most important enchantment in the entire game. It allows your gear to repair itself using XP. Normally, you'd have to cycle a Librarian villager's trades for an hour to get it. Fishing gives you a roll at it every few seconds.
It's not just Mending, either. You can find:
- Power IV or V for bows.
- Unbreaking III for basically anything.
- Luck of the Sea, which actually helps you fish better.
- Sharpness for swords.
The quality of the loot depends heavily on your rod. A plain wooden rod is a lottery ticket with bad odds. A rod with Luck of the Sea III and Lure III is a gold mine. Luck of the Sea specifically reduces your chances of catching "junk" and increases your "treasure" chances. Lure just makes the fish bite faster. When you combine them, you’re basically pulling treasure out of the water at a steady clip.
The 1.16 "Open Water" Nerf: A Reality Check
It’s important to address the elephant in the room. Back in the day, you could hide in a 1x1 hole with a pressure plate and get treasure. Mojang didn't like that. Now, if you want treasure—meaning the books and the bows—the game checks if you're fishing in "open water."
Basically, the bobber needs a 5x5x5 area of water around it. If you try to fish in a tiny puddle inside your base, you will only ever get fish and junk. No bows. No Mending. This was a huge blow to the technical community, but it actually made the mechanic feel more like, well, fishing. You have to find a lake or an ocean. You have to see the sky, or at least have a very large cavern pool.
💡 You might also like: Gothic Romance Outfit Dress to Impress: Why Everyone is Obsessed With This Vibe Right Now
If your bobber isn't in a deep enough or wide enough pool, you are wasting your time if your goal is loot. Stick to the oceans or deep rivers.
The Weird Stuff: Nautilus Shells and Lily Pads
Have you ever tried to craft a Conduit? You need eight Nautilus Shells. You can get them from Drowned zombies, but the drop rate is abysmal. Fishing is actually a highly viable way to farm these. If you're building an underwater base, you're going to be spending a lot of time with a rod in your hand.
Then there are Lily Pads. They seem decorative, but if you’re trying to build a farm over a large body of water, they are the only way to create "land" without blocking the light or looking ugly. They are a "junk" item, technically, but they’re a builder’s secret weapon.
Bowls, Boots, and Bamboo: The Jungle Factor
Environment matters. If you fish in a Jungle biome, the loot table shifts slightly. You can actually catch Bamboo. This is huge if you haven't found a bamboo forest yet but need to start a scaffolding farm. It’s a small detail, but it’s these biome-specific quirks that make the game feel alive.
Similarly, the "junk" isn't always junk. You can catch a Leather Cap or Leather Boots. Sometimes they come enchanted. Sure, it’s not Diamond armor, but on Day 1 of a Hardcore world? I’ll take whatever Protection I can get.
📖 Related: The Problem With Roblox Bypassed Audios 2025: Why They Still Won't Go Away
The Math of the Catch
If we're being precise, a standard rod has about an 85% chance of catching fish, a 10% chance of junk, and a 5% chance of treasure. Those aren't great odds. However, when you max out a rod with Luck of the Sea III, that treasure chance jumps significantly.
The weight of the "Fish" category drops, and the weight of "Treasure" climbs. It's still a gamble, but it's a gamble where the house eventually loses. You'll also get a decent amount of XP. Fishing is one of the safest ways to level up in the early game. No Creepers, no falling in lava, just you and the ripples.
Practical Next Steps for Your Survival World
If you want to maximize what you can get from fishing Minecraft, don't just stand on a pier with a basic string-and-stick rod. You need to upgrade fast.
- Craft a basic rod and fish until you get any enchanted rod or enough XP to use an enchantment table.
- Target "Luck of the Sea" first. This is your most important stat.
- Find an Ocean biome. The "open water" requirement is easiest to satisfy there, and you don't have to worry about accidentally fishing in a "pond" that's one block too shallow.
- Watch the particles. Rain actually increases the rate at which fish bite. If it’s a thunderstorm, get outside (carefully) and start casting. Your catch rate goes up by about 20% in the rain.
- Keep a grindstone nearby. You're going to catch a lot of enchanted bows and rods that have "bad" enchants like Vanishing or just low-level stuff. Run them through the grindstone. You get the XP back, and you can keep the items for crafting or fuel.
Fishing isn't the fastest way to get rich in Minecraft, but it is the most consistent "low-effort, high-reward" activity available. Whether you're hunting for that elusive Mending book or just need enough leather to start your enchanting setup, the water usually has what you need if you're willing to wait for it.